Medical procedures often involve the use of cannulated flexible shafts, endoscopes and other elongated instruments which are inserted through surgical openings. These medical instruments are relatively expensive products and must be used multiple times. Accordingly, such devices of necessity must be cleaned and sterilized repeatedly. Such instruments typically include long narrow cannulas through which surgical implements and other devices are passed in a surgical procedure. Both the interior and exterior of such cannulas thus are subject to contamination by bodily fluids and materials and must be cleaned carefully before reuse. If they are not thoroughly cleaned prior to disinfection and sterilization, surgical debris can be passed to another patient leading to infection or other complications. Accordingly, it is very important to adequately clean the interiors of endoscopes and similar surgical instruments, which are often difficult to access.
Various techniques or devices have been previously proposed for cleaning the cannulas of the medical devices, the simplest of which involves immersing the devices in solutions containing a detergent and/or an enzyme. Other applications use a small brush, constructed much like the conventional bottle brush having bristles locked between twisted wires, to reach the interior lumen of the cannula. Such brushes are not entirely effective as they do not carry the cleaning or enzymatic solution to the wall surfaces of the lumen. In addition, the bristles are liable to scratch or damage the interior surfaces of the endoscopes and leave hardened deposits thereon.
One solution to this problem was proposed in the United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2003/0213501A1 in which a hydrophilic polyurethane coating is deposited on the bristles of a conventional endoscopic cleaning brush. This coating is used to absorb an enzymatic cleaner and bring the cleaner to the interior surface of the lumen.
Another solution to this problem was proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,761 in which a tube is configured and dimensioned to slide within the cannula. Pressurized water or a cleaning solution is forced through apertures to clean the inside of the slots. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,761 doesn't address the problem of the pressurized water spraying out through holes, slots and other openings in the device or of the collection of the fluid.
Neither of these solutions address the outer surface of the device which may also have debris adhered to the surface. The art of cleaning the outer and inner surfaces of pipes is well known in the plumbing industry as hardware and home improvement stores sell cleaning tools (i.e. Worthington fitting brush, Item #35172, www.Lowes.com, Oatey 4-in-1 fitting brush, Model #313482, www.homedepot.com) for cleaning cooper and plastic pipes prior to soldering or gluing, respectively. United States Patent Applications US 20040255414A1, 20040031112A1 and 20110005012A1 describe representative devices although those sold in retail stores are much simpler.